This invention is related to copending application Ser. No. 07/350,294 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,946 owned by the inventor hereof.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to comfort stations for house cats, and particularly to an article of furniture for the home where a house cat can stretch its nails and rest in comfort on an elevated platform.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that house cats seem to have the need to occasionally stretch their nails. Cats have been known to rip drapes and the upholstry on furniture to shreds in an attempt to satisfy this need. Cat owners who are aware of this need sometimes provide a post wrapped with a carpet material to provide the cat of the house with an alternative site where it can "stretch" its nails without damage to the drapes or upholstered furniture. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an article of furniture specifically designed for use by a house cat to satisfy its need to "scratch" or "stretch" its nails.
The instinct to scratch or stretch its nails is not the only instinct possessed by a house cat. Another is the apparent need to rub its body on anything or anybody that is available. Cats will rub the sides of their bodies on furniture or on a person's pantlegs, or on a table leg or any other object that is available. It is not known why cats indulge in this rubbing ritual, but it is presumed that in some way it is akin to being stroked by a human hand. Cats have been observed to purr with contentment when engaged in this ritual in the same way that they purr with contentment when held in the arms and stroked. Accordingly, it is another object of the invention to provide a portable article of furniture that provides a relatively rough surface against which a house cat may rub its body to receive a self-administered massage by stroking its body against the rough surface.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a portable pedestal for a house cat that is designed to fit in with the decor of the room in which it is placed, be that a luxurious living room or a rustic family room.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of a portable pedestal for house cats that may be assembled and disassembled quickly and easily for shipping in a knocked-down condition or for storage.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of a novel clamping structure for retaining the upwardly extending rough-surfaced pedestal member securely yet easily removable from the base member.
Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a novel clamping structure that may be utilized to retain the rough-surfaced pedestal member detachably secured to the base and which may also be used to attach a perch member or platform on the end of the rough-surfaced pedestal member remote from the base so as to provide an elevated platform on which the cat may perch.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of a clamp block structure that may be utilized generally for clamping other objects.
The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described since it may be embodied in various forms within the scope of the appended claims.